Feline-ious
by Jeremy Harper
Summary: Ladybug and Cat Noir have encountered and defeated many strange and powerful individuals over the course of their young careers - weather manipulators; shape-shifters; armored would-be tyrants; pigeons. Dealing with a non-powered cat burglar shouldn't be any trouble for them - right?
1. Chapter 1

Feline-ious

by

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is the property of ZagToon. Catwoman is the property of DC Comics. Both are used without permission.

Chapter 1

Marinette landed gracefully on a roof top, sliding a little before coming to a stop. She smiled, rolling her shoulders, and looked over the surrounding city. The night was quiet, cool for mid-June, the cloudless sky dominated by a beautiful half-moon and glimmering stars that not even the illumination cast by the City of Lights could dim. She walked over to the roof's edge, propping a foot on the rising, and leaned forward, resting an arm across her knee. Her patrol had been uneventful, having encountered nothing untoward during her run through the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, and was now heading to the 1st to rendezvous with Cat Noir at Place Vendome. Her partner had grumbled a bit when she decided they would split up, but conceded to her request with a gracious bow. Her smile became fond – the flamboyant catboy had grown on her in the past several months; in some ways he was a closer friend to her than even Alya. After they met at the Vendome Column, the two young superheroes planned on crossing over to the Left Bank, grab a snack (Cat Noir almost always paid; tonight Marinette was determined to pick up the bill) and simply hang out on a rooftop overlooking the Seine and talk for a while before parting and heading home. She looked forward to it, even if her partner would tease her about it being a date. She definitely did not consider it one. It was just spending time with a friend – though admittedly a gorgeous blonde of a friend who, she sometimes admitted to herself in the quiet hours of the night, looked pretty good in black leather.

She reached for her yo-yo, preparing to move on, when she spotted movement on a rooftop up the street from her. Quirking her lips she peered out, straining her eyes, but could not make out any fine details. Curious, she started in that direction, moving with quick caution, keeping to cover behind chimneys and rooftop access sheds to mask her approach. As she neared she could make out a person pacing about. At first Marinette thought it was Cat Noir, but realized a few seconds later that it was a woman, dressed in some sort of dark outfit and that she was on the roof of the 1st arrondissement's most prosperous jewelry store. She stood by a large skylight window, peering down through it, back to Marinette. The young superheroine's expression transformed into a frown.

 _Yeah, like this isn't in anyway suspicious._

Marinette sped up, breaking into a run and leaping off across the street, yo-yo in hand. She didn't quite clear the distance, having to catch the coping of the jewelry store's roof and vault up. As her feet touched the concrete the woman spun around, her left hand darting for something on her left hip, but stopped when she saw who had appeared.

"Good evening!" said Marinette cheerfully, spinning her yo-yo in a lazy circle.

The stranger did not answer. For a tense half-minute the two females assessed each other through narrowed eyes. The woman was an adult, taller than Ladybug, and was dressed head-to-toe in a black leather bodysuit, tight and form-fitting, emphasizing a lush figure. The suit's front zipper was pulled down low to show off the generous cleavage of the woman's full breasts. A hood covered her head, and to Marinette's surprise it was topped by a pair of triangular, cat-like ears. Spiky, jet-black bangs peeked out from beneath the hood, while red-lensed goggles concealed the woman's eyes. Her face was oval-shaped, well-made and attractive, and her lips were full and plump, gleaming with pink lip-gloss. Multiple pouches were clipped to a belt cinched around her waist, and Marinette noted warily that a coiled bullwhip was hooked on her right hip.

"Are you in need of assistance, mademoiselle?" queried Marinette as she let her yo-yo retract into her palm. A silly question, of course – it was obvious the woman needed no aid and was most likely up to no good, but Marinette did not want to precipitate a fight just yet. Not until she got a better read on the stranger. It was just as obvious that, whatever she was, this woman was not the run-of-the-mill criminal that Ladybug and Cat Noir occasionally encountered and easily dispatched.

"No, I'm fine," the woman answered. Her voice was a smoky, rich contralto, speaking French with a lilting American accent. The tension faded from her as she lifted her hand away from her belt, pushing up her goggles with a forefinger, revealing brilliant green eyes. She canted her head slightly as her gaze roamed over Marinette, and suddenly she smiled, white teeth flashing in the moonlight.

"You're Ladybug," said the woman with a melodious laugh. "A pleasure to meet you, my dear. I must say the pictures I've seen don't do you justice. You're so pretty – cuter than a bug in a rug, if you'll pardon the phrase." Her smile became sly, and her eyes half-closed, flaring with a smoky gleam. "I think I could just eat you up." The cadence of her tone slowed, and she spiced her words with a sultry heat.

Marinette blinked, taken aback. A blush began to heat up her cheeks. "Uh... thanks?" she said. _Is... is she flirting with me?_ She shook her head slightly. "Do you mind telling me what you're doing up here?"

The woman waved a lazy hand. "Oh, just taking a stroll, enjoying the sights. It's a lovely night for a walk, don't you agree?"

"I do, but I don't know of many tourists taking a go around Paris by the rooftops."

The woman shrugged. "What can I say, I'm fond of heights." She grinned, her gaze again roaming up and down the young super-heroine's lithe figure. "And sometimes you run across the most interesting company when you go out of your way."

"Right," said Marinette flatly. "And you're lingering on the roof of a prestigious Louvre Arrondissement's jeweler just for a little rest."

The stranger's eyes went wide with false surprise. "Is that where I am? I didn't realize that! Thank you for pointing that out to me, Ladybug. I guess I shouldn't stay much longer. I don't want some police officer to catch sight of me and think I'm planning something nefarious."

"No, we wouldn't want that... Who are you? I've run into a lot of strange characters, but you're somewhat... different."

"I'll take that as a compliment, though I don't care much for the term 'strange.' It's not a flattering word, sweetheart. I prefer _unique_. As for who I am, well, that depends on what sort of relationship you're looking to have with me."

"What do you mean?" asked Marinette.

"Well, for example, if you wish to be formal, you can call me Ms. Kyle. Or if your desire is to be friends – and I think we could be _great_ friends -" The woman fluttered her long eyelashes. Marinette's blush deepened, and suddenly she had the need to swallow. "Then I'm Selina. But if, to my disappointment, you want to keep things professional, you can call me by my working name: Catwoman."

"Catwoman?" exclaimed Ladybug incredulously. "Seriously?"

"I know. It's a little on the nose, but I think it suits me."

"I guess," muttered Marinette. The name 'Catwoman' sounded familiar, but she could not recall where she heard it before. "Well... Catwoman..." the older woman's lips curved into a slight pout at Marinette's choice of address. "It's a pleasure to meet you, but I think that it would be best if you moved on from here and not come back."

"Now that's not nice of you, Ladybug," sighed Catwoman, shaking her head in disappointment. "I'm not causing any trouble -"

"Yet."

Catwoman smiled at the interjection. "All I'm doing is taking in the fresh air and enjoying the sights."

"You can't see much from here."

"Not the traditional tourist attractions, true, but there are a few things around here that pique my professional interests."

"Such as?"

Catwoman glanced casually over her shoulder at the skylight then shrugged and smiled.

Marinette pursed her lips in a tight line. The older woman had all but openly announced her intentions, yet Ladybug was not certain on how to respond, for this encounter was outside her experience as a superhero. An akuma would have attacked her by now, demanding that she hand over her Miraculous; ordinary criminals would have either fought or fled, depending on their bravery and intelligence, or lack-thereof. Catwoman seemed inclined to do neither. Her stance was completely relaxed, and if anything she seemed amused by Marinette – an attitude that started to irk the younger girl. But despite that she did not want to just attack. That action did not feel like the correct one, but she was not sure what else to do. Her presence alone did not seem to make Catwoman inclined to leave. Or even if she did depart, it would probably be a feint, and she would simply come back later if Marinette was naive enough to leave herself.

Before she could decide on a course of action a soft thump announced the arrival of someone else. Both Ladybug and Catwoman shifted to look at the newcomer while keeping each other in their line of sight. Marinette let out an inaudible sigh of relief when Cat Noir strolled out of the shadows, staff resting across his shoulders.

"You're running late, my Lady," he drawled, collapsing his staff to baton-form and attaching it to the small of his back. "So I've come to remind you that good pastrami sandwiches wait for neither bug nor cat." He seemed to only just notice the other woman. He canted his head to one side, brows lifting. "Who's this? Have we run across an ardent admirer of Yours Truly?"

"Not exactly, Cat Noir," said Marinette. "Maybe you can help me out here. This is Catwoman." Cat Noir's brows lifted even higher. "She's a tourist to Paris, and I'm trying to convince her there are better places to visit at night than closed jewelry stores."

The blonde superhero's eyes narrowed. "I see," he murmured quietly. "Well, I'm sure that between the two of us we can find some purr-fectly quaint places for her to check out." He sketched a bow to Catwoman. "Is there anything in particular that excites your interest, mademoiselle? Fine dining? Dancing? Perhaps a tour of Place Louis Lepine conducted by my lovely partner and myself?"

Catwoman looked at Cat Noir, her eyes wide. Suddenly her face lit up with a beaming, brilliant smile. She threw back her head and let out a peal of dulcet laughter, rich with amusement, startling the younger pair with her mirth.

"Oh my my! What a fierce, handsome kitten you are," she declared, voice bubbling with pleasure. "Meeting Ladybug is a treat, but seeing you, Cat Noir, has absolutely made my night." She strutted towards him, hips swaying hypnotically with every step, the slim fingers of her left hand dancing up and down her taut belly. Marinette goggled at the show while Cat Noir looked absolutely dumbfounded, his eyes nearly popping out from his mask, his mouth slightly agape and a rich blush burning his fair cheeks.

Catwoman walked a tight circle around the young man, looking him over with a frank directness that made butterflies flutter in Marinette's stomach and seemed to freeze Cat Noir solid. The older woman let out a pleased hum, her full lips pursed in a provocative smirk. She traced fingertips over his shoulders when she walked behind him, tousling the back of his wild mane of blond hair. Cat Noir jolted as if shocked and Marinette shouted 'hey!' in protest. Catwoman ignored her, stopping in front of Cat Noir, standing very close to him, almost but not quite passing over the borders of his personal space.

"So handsome," she purred.

His mouth fell open a bit more. She placed the back of her hand beneath his chin and pushed it closed. Marinette ground her teeth as a hot, fierce emotion pierced through her, crisping her butterflies to ash. She could not immediately identify the feeling, but quickly decided it was annoyance. It figured that her flirty partner proved to be very susceptible to such blatant charm.

"You know," continued Catwoman, "some acquaintances of mine have been taking on young men and women in recent years to train. I haven't given it much thought, since I prefer being a trendsetter, not a trend-follower. But right now I'm seeing the appeal of sidekicks." She gazed deeply into Cat Noir's eyes. "What do you say, my handsome boy – would you be interested in some... _hands-on_ mentoring?"

Marinette let out a soft squeak; Cat Noir jumped back as if scalded, nearly tripping over his tail-belt. "I... I... _**No!**_ " he stuttered. "Sorry! I... uh... I'm quite flattered by your... ummm... offer. But I'm much too busy. Besides, I'm a one-woman cat."

"Really now?" answered Catwoman, arching a flawless eyebrow. "A young, healthy Tom like you tying yourself down so early. That's a crying shame!" Her lips pouted as she leaned forward slightly, giving Cat Noir a healthy eyeful of her cleavage. The young man swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead. "Are you absolutely certain I can't change your mind? I can offer you some significant... purr-ks." She toyed with her suit's zipper, dragging it down a quarter of an inch.

Cat Noir sputtered incoherently, staggering back another few steps, by some miracle managing not to tangle his ankles and fall over on his rear.

"What are you doing?" Marinette shouted, scandalized, her face almost as crimson as her mask.

"Jealous, sweetheart?" Catwoman asked, turning her gaze on the teen super-heroine. "I don't mean to poach, but I just can't help myself. He's such a tasty looking morsel."

"No he isn't!" yelped Ladybug. How all the capillaries in her cheeks had not yet burst, she did not know.

"Denial is _so_ cute," the older woman drawled. "Or maybe you want to become my sidekick. You interested in applying, Ladybug? I assure you, I'm all for equal opportunity." She punctuated her statement with a flutter of her eyelashes, her green eyes hot with an appreciative gaze.

Now Marinette was the one to sputter incoherently, her thoughts piling up like a train-wreck caused by the surge of embarrassment and hormones provoked by this woman's smokey, sinful voice and wanton stare. Cat Noir's face had gone so red that it seemed only a matter of seconds before he burst into flames. Catwoman looked back and forth between the two teens, her sultry smile morphing into a grin. She laughed again, turning away from them and walking back to the skylight, no longer strutting.

"I want to thank you two," she said. Her tone, while still friendly, no longer possessed a sensually charge lilt. "I was feeling a little stressed from the flight over here, and you really helped me relax." She raised her arms over her head, fingers laced together as she stretched, bending right and left. "I appreciate it. But now you should both run along – I have work to do."

Marinette shook her head sharply in an effort to shed her embarrassment. "We're not going to let you rob this jewelry store," she said, voice only slightly strained.

"Who said I was going to do that?" Catwoman asked playfully, turning to face Ladybug and Cat Noir again.

"Oh, come on," croaked Cat Noir, He was recovering, though not as quickly as his partner. He swallowed and tried to glare sternly, not quite succeeding. "You're up here all alone dressed in a black cat costume with a tool belt and weapons. I'll be the last one to throw a stone about your sartorial choice, but frankly you're just a teeny bit sketchy, mademoiselle. We're young, not stupid."

"No, you're not," conceded Catwoman. "Just easily flustered and far too cute for your own good. So, my pretty little darlings, I'm going to explain a fact of life to you, and not one that starts all awkward but will lead to happy fun times later on. Here and now, you're out of your league." She held up a gloved hand to forestall protests. "Oh, don't get me wrong, the two of you are very good and very talented, the way you deal with the empowered freaks that attack Paris every week or so. But those akuma are possessed civilians – in other words amateurs." She smiled, a fierce flash of teeth. "I'm not an amateur. I'm a professional, one of the best. I'm so good, _Batman and Nightwing_ can't catch me, my loves. What makes you think you can do better?"

 _So_ **that's** _why her name sounds familiar,_ Marinette thought, pursing her lips tightly. _She's one of those costume crazies that run around Gotham City in America._ She knew she was being ungenerous – from what she could recall, Catwoman was a thief, not a super-villain. She tried not to hurt anyone too bad during the commissions of her thefts, and, despite her flamboyance, kept a relatively low profile. But Marinette was in no mood to be generous. She was annoyed, her face still hot from embarrassment and her temper stung by the arrogant dismissal of her and Cat Noir's abilities. She glanced at her partner out of the corner of her eyes, noting an angry frown on his face, and that his hands were clenched in tight fists.

"You're a bit far from Gotham, aren't you?" Marinette asked caustically.

Catwoman shrugged. "What can I say? I find travel to be... _broadening._ " She grinned and traced the outline of her curves with her palms.

"And you think _I'm_ a flirt, my Lady," Cat Noir muttered _sotto voce_. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm not Batman and she's not Nightwing."

"You're certainly not! You, handsome kitten, are blond and bright instead of dark and brooding, and while Nightwing is indeed a hot young thing, he doesn't have the curves to rock a leotard the way Ladybug here does." She winked flirtatiously at Marinette, blowing her a kiss.

"Will you _please_ stop that?" Marinette demanded, a hint of a whine creeping into her voice. She was very tired of blushing.

"But you two are just so fun to tease!" Catwoman said with a laugh.

Cat Noir cleared his throat. "I think it's time for you to go."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I guess we'll have ourselves a good old fashion catfight."

"You really want to go down that route? I can think of better ways the three of us could spend our time together." Cat Noir blinked, then blew out his breath sharply, as if suddenly punched in the stomach. Marinette choked. "Ah well," Catwoman continued, bowing her head and shaking it slightly. "They say burnt fingers are the best teachers."

Marinette was not prepared for just how _fast_ Catwoman was. She had sensed no magic on the costumed thief, not like she could feel radiate off of akuma victims if she concentrated, but in truth Catwoman possessed a powerful magic – the magic of phenomenal physical talent, intensive training, and experience hard earned from conflicts against some of the most dangerous men and women on Earth. Her left arm blurred; Marinette shrieked in surprise as a flexi-steel bola entangled her legs. She flailed wildly in an attempt to keep her balance and fell forward, bringing her arms up just in time to keep from planting her face into the concrete.

"Ladybug!" Cat Noir shouted, turning for a split second to his partner. A loud crack split the night air, Catwoman's bullwhip snapping out and coiling around his ankles. The thief yanked her whip hard with both hands. The young man yowled as he was pulled off his feet and sent crashing down on his back, stars hazing his vision. Catwoman raced away, running north across the jewelry store roof and leaping across the alleyway to the adjacent building, amused, mocking laughter trailing behind her.

Cat Noir groaned, shaking his head free of pain. He rolled over and quickly crawled over to Marinette. She had rolled onto her back and was struggling to free herself from the bola.

"Let me," he said. A clawed hand flashed, cutting the bola to pieces. "Are you all right, LB?"

"No, I'm not!" she snapped. "That... that... that... _ooooh!_ " She grimaced furiously and executed a windmill kip-up. "After her, Cat!"

Cat Noir nodded, his own face sharp with an angry scowl. "Right behind you, my Lady."

Catwoman had a three block lead when they started, blazing like black lightning across the rooftops of Paris, and again Marinette found herself shocked by the woman's physical ability. Marinette gritted her teeth as she redoubled her own efforts to catch up with the thief, while her partner had gone on all fours to give himself extra speed. They managed to close the distance by a block when Catwoman veered right and leaped prodigiously into the air, flying across the street. She lashed out with her whip, catching a cornice and swinging herself in an arc, somersaulting onto another rooftop and continuing to run without a misstep.

"Damn, she's good!" Cat Noir snarled.

"Yeah, but we're better!" Marinette called back. They followed, executing their own crossing with yo-yo and baton, continuing the chase. They ran for another minute, gaining another half-block. Catwoman glanced quickly over her shoulder; Marinette saw a flash of white teeth and nearly stumbled when a burst of insight flared through her thoughts – Catwoman honestly _enjoyed_ being chased. The costumed thief jumped again, spinning in the air to face the two young heroes. She gave them a mocking wave as she plummeted into an alleyway, breaking line-of-sight.

Marinette and Cat Noir leaped down after her, breaking their falls with the applications of their weapons, landing with soft grunts. They looked around the darkened alleyway, seeing no sign of their quarry.

"Any idea where she went?" Cat Noir asked. Marinette did not answer immediately, her face scrunched in concentration. She thought she heard distant footfalls fading to the south.

"This way," she said, starting to run.

"Ladybug, wait!" Cat Noir grabbed her from behind, yanking her to a stop.

"Cat, what are you doing?" she demanded.

"Wait," he repeated, letting her go and turning around, scurrying down the alley and snatching something off the ground. He held out his hand toward his partner. A twisted piece of blackened metal rested in his palm. "Caltrops," he said grimly. "She scattered them all over this end of the alley."

Ladybug cringed back. Even if those had failed to penetrate the soles of her magically reinforced costume, it still would have hurt badly to step on them.

"I've never been more glad that you have night-vision," she said fervently. "Thanks for the save, Kitty."

Cat Noir flashed a crooked grin. "No problem, my Lady." He tossed the caltrop behind him. "Catwoman fights dirty, but at least we know which way she went. Let's go topside and see if we can catch sight of her."

"Right."

They hunted for her for the half-hour, peering into other alleys and exploring rooftops as they gradually worked their way back to the jewelry store, searching every nook and cranny they ran across, but all to no avail – Catwoman had vanished. They finally returned to the jewelry store and examined it from top to bottom, finding no sign of a break in.

"Well, we got her to leave," said Cat Noir, his tone somewhat placating as he watched his partner pace back and forth on the jewelry store roof, a very angry scowl blazed across her pretty face. He could not recall ever seeing Ladybug this angry before. "I think we can count that as a win."

"Yeah, but you honestly think she's the type to _stay_ gone?" she snapped back.

"Probably not, but for right now I'll take what I can get." He shook his head. "She's definitely good." His tone held a hint of admiration.

Marinette whirled on him, glaring. "Are you in heat or something, Cat Noir? She catch your interest with her perks?"

"Ladybug!" he protested, flinching back a little before frowning hard at her. She took a deep shuddering breath and scrubbed at her face with her palms.

"Sorry, Cat. I... I didn't mean... It's just that she _really_ got under my skin."

"It's okay, Bugaboo. I can relate." He pulled a face and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling embarrassment resurface as he recalled Catwoman's outrageous flirting. Suddenly he grinned at his partner. "Besides, you're cute when you get jealous."

"Jealous of you, Tomcat? As if!" Marinette retorted, though her words were softened with a smile.

Cat Noir laughed. "So, what's the plan now?"

"Let's hang around here for now. I doubt Catwoman will come back, but let's keep an eye out just in case."

"Okay. We also need to clean up those caltrops too. We don't want anyone hurting themselves. I'll go do that. When I'm done I'll get us something to eat. Can you hold the fort down by yourself for a while? I don't know about you, but I'm famished. I'll go grab those pastrami sandwiches I've been thinking about all night."

"And here you had me believing that all you thought about was me," Marinette teased.

Cat Noir bowed. "I do, my Lady. You are always foremost in my thoughts, but the body needs what the body needs."

"Dramatic much?" she said with a laugh. "Go on. I could eat myself." Her partner nodded and ran off. Marinette remembered something. "Hey wait. Let me give you some money. I'm paying this time!"

"Too late! Be back in a bit!" He jumped away into the night. Marinette let out an annoyed huff, shaking her head, but her small smile was fond.

* * *

From her hiding place Selina smiled as she watched the two teens confer. She had been very careful with her choice of concealment; she had researched the Heroes of Paris as part of the planning for this heist, preparing against the event she encountered them, and reportedly Cat Noir had excellent night-vision.

 _So cute,_ she thought. _The cutest pains in the ass I've ever met. They're going to be stubborn – I already can tell._ She glanced at the digital watch set on the wrist of her bodysuit. Her schedule had been thoroughly blown for the night. _Oh well, it's not like I didn't take this into consideration._ She carefully departed, starting out for her hotel.

Catwoman smiled as she traversed the Parisian skyline. _This is going to be fun._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** A cross-over of this sort was probably inevitable. Hopefully anyone who reads it will find it enjoyable. I'm not sure how fast I'll be with this – while I have an idea of how the second chapter will progress, and the object of Selina's trip to Paris, I'm not entirely certain how things will go from here.

This story is actually part of a continuity I've been building for the past couple of years, a cross-over/AU between Ranma ½ and Batman/DC, detailed in the stories _Shadows Over Nerima_ and the currently running _Looking For Trouble_. It is absolutely _**not**_ necessary to be familiar with those stories to read this one. For those of you following my Ranma ½ series, _Feline-ious_ takes place just around the beginning of _Shadows_ , with Ranma returning to Tokyo with Alfred to see what his father, Genma, wants.

The DC side of this cross follows no particular continuity. It is a melange of the comics, the Arkham-verse, the DCAU, and other sources as I see fit. For Miraculous, it's canon-compliant up to at least _Darkblade_.

Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thanks, as always, to PurseMonger for being my pre-reader. Her enthusiasm, comments and proof-reading help make my little forays into fan fiction much, much better.

Cheers.


	2. Chapter 2

Feline-ious

by

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is the property of ZagToon. Catwoman is the property of DC Comics. Both are used without permission.

* * *

Chapter 2

Marinette paced around her bedroom, tense and irritable. She thought she had calmed down after enjoying the delicious pastrami sandwich Cat Noir had gotten her while standing guard over the jewelry store, bantering with her as they waited to see if Catwoman returned. But after they quit for the night, Marinette could not help replay the events of her encounter with the notorious thief. Images from the incident flashed continuously through her memory, winding her tighter and tighter. By the time she returned home she was in the grip of a fuming, humiliated anger.

With a frustrated groan she threw herself onto her chaise lounge, burying her face in a pillow and grabbing her hair. She lay like that for a few minutes, then rolled over when she heard a soft musical sigh. Tikki hovered above her, the little kwami gazing at her with sympathetic blue eyes.

"Marinette, you need to relax," she said as she settled down on her chosen's stomach. "Brooding on this will do you no good."

Marinette grimaced. "I don't get it, Tikki. How did she beat Cat Noir and me?"

"She didn't _beat_ you," Tikki corrected. "She escaped."

"That's pretty much the same thing. Catwoman is still out there and I don't doubt she's going to try to rob that jewelry store again."

"And if she does you'll be there to stop her."

"I shouldn't _have_ to. We should have captured her the first time. All the ordinary criminals I've encountered before never stood a chance against me."

"This Catwoman is far from an _ordinary_ criminal," Tikki pointed out.

"Still, she's not an akuma. I sensed no magic about her. I don't understand how she could have escaped both Cat Noir and myself without any powers."

"The world is a vast place, Marinette, and in it are many beings who are as formidable as any Miraculous. History and legend is replete with women and men who performed great deeds with no other resources than their skills and their wits. Mortals have even challenged gods and won. Just because you have powers does not mean you're invincible against people who don't."

Marinette sighed and let her head fall back on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling. "Still...we should have done better."

"Catwoman had advantages over you and Cat Noir. Experience for one. You've only been Ladybug for a few months. I don't know anything about her, but it's obvious she's been active for at least several years and has dealt with unusual situations before. She also knew who you were, and prepared in case she encountered you, while to you she was an unknown. Don't get disheartened, Marinette. It's not like you lack advantages yourself, and if you take the effort to learn from this, you'll do better against her next time you meet."

Marinette looked at her little friend. "You think I'll be able to beat her?"

Tikki smiled at her young chosen. "Of course, Marinette! You've done so much in such a short time, helping countless people and stopping so much evil and pain. I have faith in you. I just wish you had more faith in yourself. The powers I grant you are just tools – without a talented wielder, tools are nothing, and you are very good. Never doubt that."

Marinette smiled slightly. "Thanks Tikki." She dropped her head back again, half-closing her eyes in thought, her lips quirking in half-frown.

"Something else is troubling you," Tikki said shrewdly.

"Yes. No. I dunno." Marinette pulled a face, sticking out her tongue. The kwami waited patiently. Marinette sighed again. "I just... ugh! I just can't stop thinking about it. I don't know what annoys me more – Catwoman getting away or her _flirting_ with us." She shook her head sharply.

"Is it her flirting or your reaction to her flirting that's bothering you?" Marinette blushed slightly and turned her head. Tikki giggled. "There's no shame in finding her attractive, Marinette.

"I'm not gay," Marinette mumbled.

"I didn't say you are, but you must admit she _is_ a striking woman. There's nothing wrong with a little curiosity."

"I'm _not_ curious. I simply didn't like it." Even as she said it, though, Marinette could not help but wonder if she was being honest with Tikki or herself. "Though I'm pretty sure Cat Noir did," she grumbled.

"Oooh, I understand now." Tikki smiled mischievously. "You're jealous."

Marinette's blush intensified. "Of that alley cat? As if! It'd be a relief if he found someone else to flirt with. But he's my partner and friend, and I didn't like Catwoman pawing him and being a tease."

Tikki nodded sagely, still smiling. "I see."

"Besides, it was _creepy_. She's old enough to be our mother." Tikki gave her a skeptical look. "All right, older sister," she amended. "It's still creepy."

"Of course, Marinette. And the fact that a very attractive woman propositioned your very handsome partner has no effect on your feelings here. You're simply being professional."

"Exactly! I'm concerned, not jealous. Not in the least. Why would I be jealous of Cat Noir being distracted by a smile and...uhhh..." Marinette made a vague curving gesture with her hands. "Perks."

"Significant perks," murmured Tikki.

Marinette blinked at her little friend. "Right. I mean, I don't mind if Cat looks, but only as long as it doesn't interfere with us stopping Catwoman the next time she shows up. He can have a poster of her in his room for all I care." She trailed off, wondering why she suddenly felt disconcerted at the thought of Cat Noir thinking another woman was attractive. She let out a puff of breath and pushed the feeling aside. "It's late. I should get ready for bed." Tikki nodded and fluttered up the the bed loft.

Marinette quickly changed into an over-sized white tee and sleep shorts and went through her nightly routine: brushing her teeth, washing her face, letting down her hair and thoroughly brushing it. Once done she leaned on her sink and stared into the mirror, considering herself. She was not a bad looking girl. Far from it. Almost everyone she knew had commented on how pretty she was, and she was starting to almost believe it. Four years of bullying at the hands of Chloe Bourgeois had admittedly done damage to her self-esteem, but her experiences as Ladybug had helped her begin to recover. She tilted her head slightly. Her complexion was excellent – to her immense relief she rarely suffered from acne. She liked the slight dusting of freckles across her cheeks. Her eyes were a deep, expressive bright-blue shade and her blue-black hair was soft and silky. She smiled, but it faltered as her gaze flickered down to her bust.

 _So I'm petite_ , she thought. _So what? Mama's petite too, and that doesn't make her any less attractive. Besides, I'm still developing!_ Unbidden, an image of Catwoman toying with the zipper of her bodysuit, pulling it down to reveal a bit more of her admittedly impressive breasts to a stuttering Cat Noir flashed in her head. Marinette placed her palms to the sides of her breasts and pressed them together. Even that way they seemed little more than a handful to her critical eye.

Marinette let out a defeated sigh, dropping her hands and slumping her shoulders. She wandered off to bed, grumbling.

She spent a restless night, ridiculous yet disturbing fantasies of Cat Noir flirting with Catwoman, of him running off with the older woman, haunting her dreams.

* * *

After finishing a very long, very cold shower, Adrien left the bathroom and walked to his bed, bare-chested, dressed in light blue pajama pants. Plagg had settled down on a nest he made of some handkerchiefs in the half-open drawer of the nightstand, chewing on a small wedge of cheese. Adrien dropped down on the edge of the bed, head bowed, his fists clenched on top of his knees, and heaved out a great sigh. The kwami cast a curious glance at his chosen as the teen flopped back onto the mattress and covered his face with his hands.

"I'm a jerk," declared Adrien.

"Yep," said Plagg amiably.

"I'm a dope," Adrien continued.

"No arguments from me."

"I'm a wretched, depraved pervert."

"Eh, I wouldn't go _that_ far."

"But I am!" Adrien bolted upright and waved his arms wildly. "I love Ladybug -"

"I know. It's impossible for me not to, since you say it at least three times a day."

"- so why do I keep thinking about Catwoman?"

"Maybe you being a straight, healthy young man going through the hormonal turbulence of adolescence has something to do with it?"

"That shouldn't matter! I mean, I'm not _stupid_. I know she was playing me with her flirting. Plus she's a criminal. I should _not_ keep thinking about her the way I am, and yet... ugh!" Adrien shook his head sharply.

Plagg let out a put upon sigh. He bolted his cheese then left his nest to float in front of the young man.

"As amusing as it is to watch you get all tangled up and flustered with this moral crisis, I really think you should take a deep breath and try to relax. There's absolutely nothing wrong with how you're feeling."

Adrien gave the kwami a skeptical glance. "It doesn't feel right."

"That's because you're not use to it. Despite being a Miraculous, you're an innocent, sheltered kid. So is Ladybug. This Catwoman is anything but. That's why she vamped you two up – she knew it'd get the both of you all hot, bothered, and thrown off-balance."

Adrien glowered. "Okay, but in that case why am I still feeling this way?"

Plagg shrugged. "Because she's very good at projecting sex appeal." He tapped his cheek thoughtfully. "In fact, thinking on it now, she may be one of the best I've seen, and considering I knew Cleopatra back in the day that's saying something. It also doesn't hurt that she has the, uh, _assets_ to back it up. She's quite the looker, for a human. Definitely has a killer body."

Adrien's expression was incredulous. "You think that?"

"Just because I'm not attracted to humans doesn't mean I can't appreciate the aesthetics, kid." He grinned wickedly. "I bet she could feed an entire orphanage of babies with those funbags."

" _Plagg!_ "

"What, you don't agree? If you didn't notice the size of her boobs after she practically thrust them into your face, then maybe you should get your eyes checked."

"You are disgusting, Plagg."

"Like I'm saying anything that you haven't been thinking."

Adrien grunted, grudgingly conceding the point. He swung his legs up on his bed and lay down. "I shouldn't be thinking like that. It's like... I'm being unfaithful to Ladybug.

Plagg vented an exasperated sigh. "Hard to be unfaithful when you're not even in a relationship with the girl, your fevered wishful thinking aside." The cat sprite ignored the sharp glare his chosen shot at him. "I'm gonna say it again, and try to get it through your thick skull this time – there's nothing wrong with how you're feeling. You can love someone yet find someone else attractive. That doesn't make you a pervert; it makes you human." Plagg smirked. "Something that I'm forever grateful that I'm not."

Adrien pursed his lips as he contemplated what he had been told. "I... guess. Maybe you're right for once."

"Hey, I'm always right! Five millennia of experience talking here."

"Says the cat who got his head stuck in a bracelet because he thought it was camembert," Adrien retorted dryly. He rubbed at his face wearily. "All right. I'll try to learn from this fiasco and let it go. If I run into her again, next time I won't let Catwoman get to me so easily."

"Good luck with that," said Plagg. "At least you'll get some interesting dreams out of this."

"I hope not," Adrien said as he crawled beneath his bed's covers.

"You hope in vain. Especially with that last line Catwoman said to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, like you forgot! Something about she, you and Ladybug finding something more entertaining to do together than fighting." Adrien blinked then suddenly blushed furiously. Plagg cackled. "I knew it! I knew it! That's why you were so long in the shower – you were imaging in all sorts of technicolor details what it'd be like being the meat of a Catwoman/Ladybug sandwich!"

"Shut up and go to bed, Plagg," Adrien groaned, concealing his mortified expression behind his hands. The effects of his long, cold shower seemed to be wearing off. Still laughing, the kwami shut of the lights and settled down in his nest.

Adrien's night was as restless as Marinette's, dreams of both Ladybug and Catwoman both being with him in delightfully wicked ways making his sleep an awkwardly pleasant torture.

* * *

Selina sighed as she stepped out of her suite's bathroom, dressed in a terrycloth robe, her short black hair damp from her shower and wrapped up in a towel. She sat down on the couch, propping her bare feet up on a coffee table, ankles crossed, her arms thrown out on the back of the couch. She stared up at the ceiling with languid green eyes for a while, then suddenly chuckled, shaking her head. Sitting up, she fetched her tablet from the satchel resting at the side of the couch, unlocked it and called up her files on Ladybug and Cat Noir.

 _Adorable,_ she thought with a smile as she looked at pictures of the pair. _So very cute. And very dangerous._ Despite her comments to the young Heroes of Paris about them being out of their league against her, she did not hold them cheaply. She refused to fall into the trap of underestimating them due to their youth and inexperience. One especially humiliating encounter with Nightwing had taught her the folly of that. In addition, some of the akuma they fought and defeated had possessed powers worthy of the attention of the Justice League, if the super-villain had manifested in the States.

She examined a photo of Ladybug and Cat Noir, taken after one of their victories. They were bumping fists and sporting big, happy smiles. _Quite a comely pair. They blush so prettily too. I can't rely on flustering them too much, though. Push comes to shove, they'll fight. I'd rather avoid that, do my best to evade them._ She tapped her forefinger against pursed lips. _Supposedly Cat Noir is the impetuous one, but Ladybug seemed to have been more effected by my banter. Something to keep in mind._ She sighed softly, reminding herself that no matter how much fun playing with these young superheroes would be, she was here in Paris on business, not pleasure. She opened a new file, detailing the object of her excursion to France.

Selina stared at the picture shining in high resolution glory on her tablet, her eyes narrowed and glittering with avarice. She knew prizes like this was a weakness of hers. She would make a much safer living targeted only simple gems or jewelry. She did her best to curb this habit to steal cat-themed treasures and antiquities, and most times she succeeded. She was in no way a slave to her obsessions the way criminals like The Riddler or Two-Face were. But sometimes the itch, the _need_ , became too much, and she had to fulfill it. The necklace held in trust at the Louvre jewelry store in the days before its auction at Hôtel Drouot would be _purr-fect._

The Dreaming Tiger's Eyes. She stared at them greedily – a matched pair of topazes, each marked with a long, slim dark line in their depth, like the slit pupil of a cat, flaws that enhanced rather diminished the value of the gems. The stones were set in a gold necklace which crafting dated back to the height of the Mughal Empire. Personally, Selina was amazed it had survived the centuries intact, and had not been broken to pieces and sold off by some rapacious Englishman in the service of the East India Company.

 _No matter. I'll be sure to give it a good home now._ She powered down the tablet, stowed it, and sat back to think, frowning slightly. Selina had planned on having the necklace in her possession tonight, but her encounter with Ladybug and Cat Noir had thrown that askew. She was not dismayed, having made allowances for such an occurrence. She wondered how tenacious the two heroes would prove to be. Like most super-heroes, probably very, but they were also quite young and seemingly without a mentor. It was possible they would be contented in chasing her off this one time and not follow up on it. But then she recalled the look of angry determination on their lovely faces as they chased her across the rooftops of the 1st arrondissement.

Selina chuckled again, shaking again. "No, they're not going to give up easily. Ah well, I'm always up for a challenge." She stood and went to her room's phone to call up for a light supper before changing into a set of lilac silk pajamas.

After savoring her meal and watching television for an hour to let herself rest and digest, Selina settled down for bed. Her sleep was the dreamless, pleasant rest of a powerful woman completely confident in her abilities and her place in the world.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I had actually planned on writing the next, long-over due chapter of _Looking For Trouble_ before this. However, I follow Kryalla Orchid's tumblr account and read that she was contemplating trying her hand at her own Miraculous/Catwoman crossover, so I decided to try to at least get this second chapter done before she does so and blows _Feline-ious_ out of the water...

In all seriousness, though, her story will probably be much different than _Feline-ious_ , since her tentative plot is to have Selina as a mentor to the Heroes of Paris, while Catwoman here is going to be (mostly) an antagonist. Anyhow, I'm curious to see what Kryalla Orchid will do with the concept, if she decides to work on it. As I mentioned in Chapter 1, this is an inevitable cross-over, and there's probably many different ways you can play it.

For those of you following the Shadows/Ranma 1/2 sides of things, I plan on getting at least the next two chapters of _Looking For Trouble_ done before writing anything else. I really want to finally put that story to bed.

Next time on _Feline-ious_ , Ladybug and Cat Noir discover that Catwoman is far more than what she appears.

Thanks once again to PurseMonger for her pre-reading, advice, interest, and for introducing the euphemism 'funbags' to my vocabulary.


	3. Chapter 3

Feline-ious

by

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is the property of ZagToon. Catwoman is the property of DC Comics. Both are used without permission.

* * *

Chapter 3

Concealed five blocks from the jewelry story, Selina pursed her lips wryly as she peered through a pair of night-vision binoculars. As expected, Ladybug was stationed on the roof, standing alert and watchful. Cat Noir was not currently in view, but Selina had caught a brief glimpse of him earlier.

 _Not bad,_ thought Selina as she stowed away the binoculars. _Have Ladybug out in the open to draw my attention while Cat Noir surprises me. Shame I'm not going to fall for it_. She tapped her lips with a forefinger as she considered her options. Simply out-waiting them was a valid plan – the Heroes of Paris were teenagers obviously without any adult support. No doubt they had responsibilities during the day, most likely school that they could not avoid. That would limit their time out. She could wait for them to depart then make her move. However, Ladybug had done something earlier in the day that had taken Selina off-guard. According to the Ladyblog, the young heroine had visited the store in the morning and spoken with the management.

Selina chuckled softly. She needed to get out of Gotham more often; having it as her primary territory was making her rigid in her thinking. In many ways Gotham City was an anomaly in the heroic world. While Batman's working relationship with Commissioner James Gordon was legendary, the Dark Knight rarely interacted directly with ordinary citizens, even those under imminent threat. Not all super-heroes were so aloof. With the jewelry store forewarned, they would no doubt have changed some of their security measures. While Selina was confident she could circumvent them on the fly, this was her first heist in Paris, and being in unfamiliar territory made her cautious. She considered her schedule and decided she could afford to wait another night.

 _Tomorrow morning I'll scout and re-assess. After that it will just be a matter of patience._ She smiled as she stood and started away. _I'll be back in Gotham Sunday at the latest, with a nice addition to my private collection. But for right now, I'm in the mood for Chinese and an early night._

She had traversed three blocks via rooftop when coarse, raucous laughter caught her attention. She paused, looking in the direction she heard it from. More laughter echoed up from a nearby street.

"Come on, don't be so shy," a male voice said, greasy with lust. "We just want to be friends."

Selina frowned sharply and stalked to the edge of the roof she was on, looking for the source of the commotion. She spotted three men, dressed in t-shirts and jeans, surrounding two women pressed back against a wall. The women were young, mere teenagers. One was tall and willowy, with long black hair dyed with purple highlights, dressed in a dark Gothic inspired fashion. She was obviously scared but was trying to stand up to the men closing in around her, shielding a trembling blonde pixie of a girl.

Selina scowled, flexing her fingers, cracking her knuckles. Her heart sped up slightly as a hot, far too familiar anger began to kindle in her.

"Typical," she muttered to herself. Then her scowl transformed into a cruel smile, like one could find on a cat who just spotted a plump and very stupid mouse. "Oh well, I could use the diversion. All work and no play makes for a dull girl."

* * *

Juleka glared at the three men pressing in around herself and Rose with a false ferocity she found difficult to mimic. Her mouth tasted full of copper and her throat was thick with fear. Her body ached from her terror, but feeling Rose's trembling hand on her back, hearing her breath rasp with fright, made the taller girl strive even harder to force her own fears away.

"Leave us _alone_ ," she growled.

"Or what, you gonna cry?" one of the men laughed. "Be a shame, ruining your mascara like that. How long did it take to cake that all on, honey?"

"Hey, you know what they say about girls that young wearing make-up," another said with a gross leer.

 _God, this is a nightmare,_ Juleka thought despairingly. The situation reminded her of the opening of a hackneyed crime drama – young women out at night being accosted by frickin' Apaches. Such a situation was nearly the last thing she ever expected to happen to her. Admittedly, she and Rose were out late for a school night, but a Louvre arrondissement independent theater was holding a Studio Ghibli marathon, and the girls had gotten permission from their parents to attend as long as they returned at a reasonable hour. They had not been concerned because even though Paris suffered from an akuma attack every week or so, paradoxically ordinary crime had dropped precipitously since Ladybug and Cat Noir had started their patrols. Running into men like these had been extremely bad luck, and Juleka hoped desperately the Heroes of Paris were nearby and would soon intervene.

The third man walked up to Juleka and tried to touch her face. She slapped his hand away, and he frowned in response.

"You got spirit, but I'm getting tired of this. We're gonna give you a choice – either the two of you get on your knees right now and get ready to make nice with us, or else we beat the hell out of you and take you for everything you got. So, you gonna be smart or stupid?"

Rose let out a choking squeal of fright while Juleka began to shake, her stomach twisting with such violence she nearly vomited. She forced out a deep breath, getting ready to fight, to run, to scream, to do _something,_ when suddenly a new voice spoke up.

"Hey guys, why are you bothering with those girls when there's a woman right here? Oh wait, I already have the answer – because you're just a bunch of little boys."

Everyone started and turned in the direction of the voice, and Juleka's jaw dropped at the sight of the newcomer. A tall woman stood leaning a shoulder against the wall, arms folded beneath her breasts and a look of cool, contemptuous amusement on her beautiful face. She was dressed head to toe in a black bodysuit, a hood adorned with - of all things - cat ears pulled over her head, spiky black bangs peeking out from beneath it. Red-lensed goggles rested on her forehead and a multi-pouched belt was cinched around her waist. Juleka also noted the woman had what looked like a whip coiled at her right hip. The teen blinked and swallowed; she had no idea who this woman was, but she looked formidable. A warm feeling of relief and hope melted away the cold fear clutching her. She reached behind her and took Rose's trembling hand, squeezing it.

The three men stared at the woman incredulously. "What the hell are you suppose to be?" the one closest to her demanded. "A Cat Noir cosplayer?"

The woman's melodious laughter peeled through the night as she pushed off the wall. "Hardly. I'll admit I'm not the first person to work in public dressed like a cat, but my style is all my own." She took few leisurely steps towards them, sensuously stretching her arms out to the side and rolling her neck. "No, I'm just a concerned tourist staging an intervention, that's all."

The thug closest to the two girls snorted and sneered. "Whatever, bitch. Get your ass out of here before we mess you up."

"I dunno, man. I think I want her to stick around," one of his friends interjected. His eyes roamed greedily over the woman's shapely body. "This bitch is wicked hot. Check out the tits on her."

The woman let out a put-upon sigh, shaking her head. "Specimens like you make me forever grateful that I can switch-hit. Couldn't you at least be a bit more imaginative? I swear, every time I do the hero thing I hear the same trinity of gendered insults over and over – bitch; slut; cunt. _Boring!_ " Her nose scrunched slightly. "Alright, I'll admit 'cunt' sorta gets to me. It's an ugly little word for such a pretty part of a woman's body - far more aesthetically pleasing than the silly things dangling between your legs." She grinned brilliantly. "Not that you have much dangling there in the first place."

"What do you mean by that?" the first man demanded.

"Well, if big strapping guys like you have to resort to harassing young teenage girls, it's pretty obvious you have some serious shortcomings. Say, I'm curious - just between you and me, how long did your last woman laugh when she saw you without pants?"

The man flushed beat-red, his face suffused with wrath. He stepped up to the woman and lashed out with a punch. She leaned away, his fist missing her chin by inches, then with a casual motion struck him across the face with an open hand. The thug let out a shriek, staggering back with a hand to his cheek. He pulled it away and stared at his palm; it was stained with blood. Four long, ragged cuts slashed from the corner of his left eye down to the line of his jaw.

"She cut me!" he shouted in disbelief.

"What? You mess with a cat and you're surprised you get scratched? Just how stupid are you?" The woman smiled wickedly, settling into a slight crouch, making a come-hither gesture with her right hand, the tips of her gloves wet and red. "Hurry up, boys. I don't have all night. Come get some."

The first man let out a howl and tried to punch her again. She slapped his arm aside and spun, her elbow smashing into the back of his skull, sending him sprawling on the sidewalk. The second leaped forward, attempting to grapple her, but she checked him with twin palm strikes to his shoulders jolting him to a stop, then grabbed him by his short brown hair and threw him into the wall. The third man snarled and rushed her. She ducked his wild haymaker and struck him with a closed fist in the pit of his stomach. He gagged, eyes bulging and turning slightly green as he hopped back.

The first thug had recovered, regaining his feet, and charged her from behind. Without even bothering to look the woman struck out with a back kick, folding him in half and sending him flying. The second had gotten up as well, stumbling forward with a punch. She evaded with a sway of her lithe body then slapped him, the sound of leather against flesh popping like a gunshot. As he goggled in pain she grabbed him by the hair again, this time with both hands, and drove him face first into the wall with a sickening crunch. He fell to the ground, curling into a fetal position as he clutched at his flattened, gushing nose, wailing in agony.

The woman strode up to the third man, strutting cockily. He managed to straighten as she came near, lashing up with a clumsy upper-cut. She easily evaded it and retaliated with a palm thrust between his eyes before grabbing him by the wrist and collar of his tee-shirt and throwing him over her shoulder. He landed hard on his back, breath rushing out of him in a great gasp. The woman kept hold of his wrist, twisting and locking his arm and placing the sole of her boot against his torqued shoulder.

"Do you want to hear it crack?" she asked pleasantly. He stared up at her uncomprehendingly for a few seconds before wildly shaking his head.

"Good." She scanned for the other two men. The thug with the broken nose was still down, but the one she had kicked had managed to get back up and was running away. She took something from her belt and threw it at him. Flexi-steel bolas wrapped around his ankles and with a scream he planted on his face.

"Aren't you tired of eating concrete?" she called out. "Do us all a favor and stay down." She glanced down at the thug she had incapacitated. "That goes for you too." He nodded fervently. "Good boy."

She let him go and turned towards Juleka and Rose, walking to them. Juleka saw a blur of movement and opened her mouth to shout a warning, but before she got a word out the leather-clad stranger already reacted. She turned around, her bullwhip snapping around the rising thug's ankles before he could charge. She yanked the whip, pulling him off his feet, dropping him on his head and shoulders. The man rolled onto his side, clutching the back of his skull.

"Typical," the woman said. "They never know when to quit. Stay put, little boy, else my claws come out for real." The thug groaned in response. She again turned to two teens. "Are you alright?" she asked, tone serious as she coiled her whip. Rose nodded several times rapidly, her eyes wide with awe. Juleka felt her mouth split into a huge grin.

"So cool," she said. "That was awesome. _You're_ awesome!"

The woman threw back her head and laughed, delighted and amused. "Why thank you, m'dear. I have a pretty healthy ego, but it's always nice to get confirmation of my awesomeness. Now, could one of you do me a favor and call the police? I'm afraid I don't have my cellphone with me. I'll stay with you until they show up, just to make sure that our friends here don't run away."

" _What's going on here?_ "

The woman smirked. "Or maybe that won't be necessary."

* * *

Marinette stared at the tableau before her, not knowing what to make of it. Cat Noir, with his enhanced senses, had heard sounds of a commotion coming several blocks away from the jewelry store. They had worried that it was some sort of distraction set up to lure them away, but the Heroes of Paris quickly decided they could not in good conscious ignore it. When they arrived a minute later they found three men lying on a sidewalk, groaning and clutching at injuries, Catwoman nearby, looking at her and Cat Noir with a sardonic smile, and Marinette's classmates Rose and Juleka staring worshipfully at the thief.

"Nice to see you sweet things again," Catwoman drawled. "How has your night been?"

"Quiet, up 'til now," Marinette answered, unable to keep a snarl out of her voice. All her frustration and anger at this infuriating woman came seething out in an instant. Next to her she sensed Cat Noir tense up, setting himself for a confrontation. "You mind explaining what just happened, Catwoman?"

"She saved us, Ladybug!" Rose interjected, letting go of Juleka's hand and skipping forward a few steps. "These men were threatening us, and this wonderful lady came by and stopped them."

"It was _so_ awesome!" Added Juleka, gazing up at the older woman almost dreamily. Catwoman chuckled and smiled at her.

Cat Noir's eyes locked onto the three men with ferocious intensity. "They... _threatened_ you?"

Rose visibly wilted. "Yes. It... it was frightening." Juleka walked up behind her and gave the smaller girl a hug.

Marinette pursed her lips, looking at the men with an anger that matched her partner's. "Did any of you call the police yet?"

"No," said Juleka. "This lady... Catwoman?" Selina nodded her head. "She told us to do so, but you showed up before I could."

"I'll take care of it," said Cat Noir. He activated his baton's communications system as he stalked over to the trio of thugs. The man Catwoman had dropped on his head had managed to sit up. He noticed the young hero looming over him and froze.

"Oh hell," he muttered.

"Please, give me an excuse," Cat Noir growled. The man shook his head sharply. "Smart boy."

"Not really," commented Catwoman. "But certain methods of teaching can be quite effective." She shot Marinette a bright smile.

Ladybug stiffened at the jibe, but quickly blew out a breath. "Well... thank you for helping Rose and Juleka out. We know them, and I... appreciate what you did." That had been difficult to say, and Marinette felt a little ashamed by that fact, but her resentment toward the older woman still felt sharp and bitter.

Catwoman smiled knowingly. "You're welcome, Little Miss Ladybug." She stretched her arms over head. "Well, now that I've done my one good deed for the year, I think I'll bid you all a good night. Adieu." She turned away.

"Wait!" called out Marinette.

"Yes?" asked Catwoman, looking over her shoulder.

Marinette hesitated a moment, briefly speechless. "Why?" she finally blurted out.

Catwoman's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why what?"

"Why did you help them?" The younger woman gestured at her classmates. "You're a thief. A criminal. Why did you get involved?"

The older woman scowled briefly, her expression sharp, but then she shook her head, chuckling indulgently. _Paris really is different from Gotham,_ Selina thought. _Batman never would have ask that, because he understands. But you have to make allowances for the young._

"Things aren't always black and white, Ladybug," Catwoman answered. "I'm a bad girl, but I'm not _that_ bad." She blew Marinette and Cat Noir kisses. "I look forward to seeing you cuties again." She hooked her whip to her belt and leaped, adroitly scaling the side of the building with graceful bounds and slipping onto its roof, vanishing from sight. Marinette stared after her, feeling confused and conflicted.

Cat Noir noticed his partner's odd expression. "Are you alright, my lady?"

"I don't know, Cat," she said. "I honestly don't know."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Many thanks again to the always awesome PurseMonger for her pre-reading, suggestions, and support. Her input makes my stories much, much better.

Next chapter – even the noblest of actions can have unexpected consequences.


	4. Chapter 4

Feline-ious

By

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is the property of ZagToon. Catwoman is the property of DC Comics. Both are used without permission.

Chapter 4

Marinette arrived at College Francoise Dupont in a pensive mood. She had spent a restless night pondering her encounter with Catwoman, focusing on what the older woman had said. Marinette did not consider herself naive. Sure, she was excitable and over-dramatic at times. She was definitely clumsy. But she never thought naivety one of her flaws. She _knew_ not everything was black and white. Akuma victims were proof of that. Despite all their power and penchant for mayhem, in the end they were simply people whose frustrations got the better of them, allowing Hawkmoth to exploit them for his own nefarious purpose. Akumas demonstrated by their very existence that even the best of people could make mistakes.

But Catwoman was in a different league from an Akuma. While Akuma victims have a choice in whether to accept Hawkmoth's bargains, the super-villain always approached them when they were at an emotional low point and least likely to resist. Selina Kyle had no such an excuse. It was obvious that she chose being a thief because she enjoyed it. The look Marinette had seen on Catwoman's face while chasing her was proof enough of that. She was obviously talented and intelligent enough to make a living in any number of legal ways, but had decided instead to break the law on a regular basis for fun and profit. To Marinette Catwoman was an inherently selfish woman.

But if she was really that selfish, why did she go out of the way to rescue Rose and Juleka, two girls she had never met before?

Marinette heaved out a sigh as she stowed some of her textbooks in her locker. A headache was slowly growing in her head, caused by her constantly circling train of thought. Tikki's comment of 'people are complicated', had not helped matters.

She got to homeroom five minutes early and saw that most of the class had gathered around Rose and Juleka's table. The exceptions were Adrien, Chloe and Sabrina. Adrien was studying a notebook with such an adorable look of concentration that Marinette could not help but smile moonily at him, her cheeks growing pink in the process. Chloe was filing her nails, her mouth quirked in a disgruntled scowl. Sabrina fidgeted in her chair, occasionally glancing over her shoulder at the conversation happening above her.

"What was she like?" asked Alya, practically begging, her eyes flashing excitedly behind her glasses.

"Totally awesome," answered Juleka, smiling dreamily.

Rose nodded rapidly in agreement. "She was so confident! Completely unafraid. She beat up those horrible men without breaking a sweat – they didn't stand a chance against her. And she was very kind and friendly to us. Catwoman was wonderful!" Rose pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Though I think her costume could be a bit more colorful."

"Let me guess – some pink trim, maybe?" said Alix, though her smile softened her sarcasm. "It sounds cool, though, how she kicked those pigs' butts. That would have been awesome to see."

"How are you two feeling?" asked Mylene. "It must have been a scary experience."

Rose faltered a bit. Juleka gave one of her small hands a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"It was," admitted the dark haired girl. "I had some trouble falling asleep last night, because of it." She shivered a little but then smiled sincerely. "But thinking about how Catwoman saved us really helped a lot. It was comforting, and she's just _soooo_ cool." The smaller blonde perked up at this and again nodded her agreement.

"Could I interview you two about this after school today?" asked Alya. "It wouldn't be for the _Ladyblog_ , but for my other blog, _Superheroic._ " Her two classmates nodded their agreement and Alya grinned brilliantly. "Thanks a lot, girls. I really appreciate it."

Chloe huffed loudly. "I don't get why you're so excited about this, Cesaire. Personally I think one mangy cat running around Paris is _more_ than enough."

Alya glared down at her. Marinette frowned as well, not liking hearing her partner and friend being disparaged. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Adrien sighing quietly and shaking his head.

"Shows what you know, Bourgeois. Catwoman is a major, big league hero. She's teamed up with Batman and Nightwing in the past."

"Hero? _Ha!_ If you're even half the superhero fan you claim to be, then you know that she's nothing more then a two-bit thief. Besides, Ladybug could have saved Juleka and Rose with far more class and style."

"Well Ladybug didn't, Chloe," said Juleka, the normally shy girl retorting with surprising force. "Catwoman did. I don't care if she's a thief or a hero, Rose and I are grateful that she was there for us."

The incipient fight was prevented from escalating by Ms. Bustier strolling into the classroom, clapping her hands and telling her students to take their seats. Alya and Juleka traded sharp glares with Chloe before complying.

"What was that all about?" Marinette asked as Alya settled down next to her. She already knew, of course – far better than Alya did. But it would have been odd if she had not inquired.

Alya grinned excitedly, quickly shedding her annoyance at Chloe. "Juleka and Rose got into some trouble last night. Some creeps were harassing them, were going to assault them, actually, and this American superhero, Catwoman, appeared and stopped them!"

Marinette managed to feign a convincing look of surprise. "Wow, that's incredible. I wonder what brought her to Paris?"

"Who knows? But I'm definitely going to try to find out – or at least get some exclusive photos. I'd love to get some more traffic for my other blog."

Marinette frowned slightly. "I think I've heard a little about Catwoman. Isn't Chloe right about her being a thief? Wouldn't that make her a super-villain?"

"Well... it's a bit complicated." It took a bit of effort for Marinette not to sigh at that. Any further conversation on the subject was cut off when Miss Bustier officially began class.

Marinette was listless all throughout the first half of the school day, contemplating her confused feelings about the American thief she and Cat Noir were trying to stop. Alya noticed her odd mood, though she readily accepted Marinette's explanation about not having slept well last night.

Class finally adjourned for lunch, and as Alya was gathering her things to take to her locker Marinette laid a hand on her arm.

"Hey Alya, you know a lot about superheroes in general. Not just Ladybug and Cat Noir."

"You know I do, girl. I started my _Superheroic_ blog years before I made the _Ladyblog_. I've loved superheroes since I was Ella and Etta's age."

"Then maybe you could explain something to me. What exactly did you mean about Catwoman being 'complicated'?"

Alya arched an eyebrow. "I didn't think you were that interested in superheroes other than our local ones."

Marinette shrugged. "I'm a little curious." She smiled wryly. "I mean, I'm in agreement with _Chloe_ of all people. If that's not proof I could be wrong, I don't know what is."

Her friend chuckled at that. "Alright, what would you like to know?"

"Well, like I said earlier – Catwoman is a thief, right?" Alya nodded. "So doesn't that by default make her a super-villain?"

"I guess it would, if that were all she was. But she does other things too."

Adrien had packed away his supplies in his satchel but lingered in his seat, listening to the girls. Their conversation had piqued his professional interest and he was very interested in what Alya had to say about his and Ladybug's newest opponent.

"Like what?" Marinette pressed.

"Well, like I told Chloe, she's teamed up with Batman and Nightwing in the past. She's helped them out against some of the bigger monsters that run around Gotham City – guys like the Joker or the Scarecrow. There's also rumors that she and Batman are _together_." She grinned slyly and held up crossed fingers. "Together together. If she was really that bad I doubt the Dark Knight would be romancing her."

Marinette crooked her mouth, unconvinced. "But you said that was just a rumor."

"I did, but there's a lot of circumstantial evidence to support it."

"Alright. But what else does she do that makes her a superhero?"

"She fights crime by herself." Alya starting scrolling through her tablet. "If I remember right she considers the East End of Gotham City her territory. Its a really run-down and dangerous neighborhood, but Catwoman does her best to keep it from getting worse. She also goes out of her way to help women in need. Ah!" She displayed the tablet to Marinette, showing her a news article in English. An accompanying photograph showed a number of women by a large cargo container, being tended to by paramedics and police officers.

"Around last winter Catwoman broke up a nasty human trafficking ring. This gangster called Roughcut had been kidnapping desperate, vulnerable women and was shipping them off to who-knows-where. Catwoman exposed it, freed the women he still had imprisoned, captured his henchmen and put Roughcut himself in the hospital. If those aren't the actions of a superhero, I don't know what is."

"But she's still a thief, right?"

Alya shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not like she targeting poor widows and orphanages. She steals jewels and art from billionaires and corporations – people and organizations that could lose millions of euros and never notice. Personally, I'm not going cry over some old guy having a diamond encrusted necklace he bought for his arm candy getting snatched away."

"I see," Marinette said quietly.

Alya looked at her best friend closely. "Are you alright, Marinette? You seem a bit... I dunno... _invested_ in Catwoman being one of the bad guys."

She shook her head sharply and gave Alya a gamine grin. "Like I said, I'm just curious... I'll see you after lunch, Alya." She gathered up her book bag and departed with a wave. Her best friend watched her go with a half-frown.

"So what do _you_ think of Catwoman, Alya?" Adrien asked as he stood up.

"Eavesdropping, pretty boy?"

He laughed at that and gave her a charming grin. "Guess so, if you want to call overhearing a conversation happening a meter and a half behind you eavesdropping."

"Heh. Fair point. Personally, I think Catwoman's cool. I'd really like to find out why she's here – oh, maybe even get an interview with her! That would be _soooo_ awesome!"

Adrien laughed again. "Well, I sort of doubt she'd be willing to sit for one, but if anyone could get an interview with her, I'm sure it'd be you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. How about yourself, Adrien? What's your opinion on her?"

"I'm not certain," he answered quietly. "Give me a few more days and maybe I'll know."

"Hey dude, you coming?" Nino called through the classroom door.

"Sorry, Nino. Be right there. See you soon, Alya."

* * *

After returning home Marinette told her mother she was not hungry and was going to lay down for a bit. She draped herself on her chaise lounge, hands pillowing her head as she stared thoughtfully up at the ceiling. Tikki perched on Marinette's desk, nibbling on a cookie as she watched her protege with solemn blue eyes. When she finished she floated over to the young heroine.

"What are you thinking, Marinette?" she inquired softly.

Marinette did not answer right away. She continued staring at the ceiling for a minute before heaving out a sigh and sitting up. Tikki settled down on her shoulder.

"I've been trying to make up my mind about Catwoman. I think I've come to a conclusion."

"And that is?"

Her face firmed into an expression of determination. "It's great that she acts like a hero most of the time. But just because she does a lot of good deeds doesn't mean she can break the law when she wants to. Stealing is still stealing, even if the victim is rich and won't be hurt by the lost. I'm just..." she let out a soft huff of breath and shook her head. "I'm just trying to convince myself I'm not being unreasonable about feeling that way. If it hadn't been for her, poor Juleka and Rose would have been... Ugh!" She grimaced and shuddered. "Part of me wants to give her a pass because of that. But then I remember she came to Paris to commit a crime. And then there's a third part of me that just wants to get back at her for making fools out of Cat Noir and myself." She smiled ruefully and glanced at Tikki. "Is that petty of me?"

"Maybe a little, but it's a natural reaction, and I don't blame you for it."

Marinette nodded. "Do you think I'm being, I dunno, a stiff about this? Maybe acting a little like an Inspector Javert?"

Tikki snorted. "Hardly. You're not persecuting a desperate, starving man who stole a loaf of bread. You're attempting to stop a skilled and dangerous woman from committing an act of grand larceny for her own personal gain. There's quite a bit of difference there."

Marinette smiled gently. "Good point." Determination settled on her face again. "That settles it. Even is she is one of the good guys a lot of the time, I _will_ stop her."

The little red sprite beamed at her. "You will," Tikki agreed. "I have all the faith in the world in you, Marinette."

* * *

A while back Selina Kyle had decided that performing a good deed was often like having a one night stand – it felt real nice at the time, but all too often you ended up regretting it in the morning.

Case in point: the video she was watching on her cellphone as she walked to the Louvre jewelry store to do some scouting. It was footage of her rescuing those two teen-aged girls from that pack of morons last night. It was grainy and a bit shaky, taken from a high angle, probably from a second or third story window, but anyone with knowledge of the superheroic world would easily be able to identify her.

 _Typical,_ she thought sourly, thinking of the bystander that had posted the video, her face cold and stony as she stowed her phone away in her purse. _Can't be bothered to call the police when those two sweethearts were about to get attacked, but all too happy to post a video of me saving them. Even after fifty years, the ghost of Kitty Genovese still haunts the world. Dammit._ She shook her head sharply.

She did not regret saving those girls, of course. She would do it again in an instant, with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. But the sudden publicity of the rescue unfortunately complicated the heist. Selina's biggest concern was that Batman would notice and come to thwart her. The Dark Knight usually stayed in his own territory, unless he was on a mission with the JLA or the Outsiders, but if nothing serious was happening in Gotham right now chances were good that he would come to Paris to investigate. Despite her boast to Ladybug and Cat Noir, Selina was realist enough to know that her continued freedom was due to Batman's leniency and affection for her, as well as her ability to stay off his radar.

 _It'll have to be tonight,_ she thought. _Outlast the kids, go in, make the snatch, get out, then leave France right damn quick._

She spent an hour at the jewelry store, scouting under the guise of shopping, legitimately acquiring a necklace and a bracelet that caught her eye. She noted that the store had made a couple of changes in their security, but nothing she could not handle. They either were not taking her abilities as a thief or Ladybug's warning seriously – a mistake, either way. She left the store, satisfied and confident that the Dreaming Tiger's Eyes would be in her possession by the end of the night.

But three blocks north of the store she spotted someone approaching her and realized her luck had gone straight to hell.

"Selina!"

 _You gotta be kidding. I'd rather it had been Batman swooping down on me than have to deal with_ _ **this**_ _asshole!_

The man approaching her was tall and broad-shouldered, walking with athletic grace. He was well-dressed in a dark-red polo shirt, light jacket and white trousers, all expensive brands and tailored to fit. He was Caucasian, his skin tanned a dark bronze indicating he had spent much of his life outdoors. Keen blue eyes peered out beneath jet-black bangs and a gleaming smile adorned his face. He looked muscular and fit, but Selina noticed, despite his expert tailoring, that his stomach was slack and somewhat bloated. That his strong chin was beginning to sag. That his nose was much too red for a warm spring day.

"Selina!" he said, opening his arms for a hug. "It's great to see you again."

"I'm sorry I can't say the same, Blake," she answered coolly, taking a step back.

Thomas Blake stood still for a moment, arms still spread and his smile twisting into an expression of pique. Then he chuckled and shook his head, letting his arms dropped.

"Still a prickly kitten, aren't you? Some things never change."

"You're right about that," Selina answered dryly. She looked him over again with critical eyes, not bothering to keep from frowning. "What are you doing here? And why the hell did you dye your hair?"

He ran a hand through his thick mane of hair. "Felt like a change. Beside, black is cool. It's a tough color."

"Right."

"As for what brought me to Paris, well, I was staying over in London when I caught a very interesting video. After thinking about it for a bit I thought I'd pop over the Channel and see if my partner could use a hand."

"We haven't been partners for five years, Blake."

"Which is something we should correct. We made a great team."

Selina snorted contemptuously. "Yeah, right. A team in which I did the lion's share of the work while you tried to take the lion's share of the profits."

Blake grinned at her. "Hey, it works for lions..."

"But it doesn't work for me. I'm a lone cat now. No partners wanted."

He grimaced sharply and ran a hand through his hair again. "C'mon, Selina," he said with a hint of a whine. "I'm a bit hard up right now. I could use a bit of cash to help tide me over until some opportunities open up. Can't you do an old friend a favor?"

"Sure I could – if you were an old friend. Which you are most definitely not. It's not my fault if you're short on money, so you can pull yourself out of whatever financial hole you dropped yourself in."

Blake's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're making a mistake here, Kyle."

"The only person making a mistake right now is you." She was in his space in an instant. He let out a pained grunt as she pressed the knuckles of her right hand hard into his stomach. She positioned her leg so that she could lift her knee and crush his groin before he could react.

Selina grinned cruelly. "Even if you weren't a raging asshole, with the shape you're in I'd be stupid to take you on as a partner, Tommy. Five years ago I would have had to have worked a lot harder to get you at a disadvantage like this." Passersby had started to slow down, noticing the tableau with concern and curiosity. She shifted a bit to whisper in his ear. "I'm just going to tell you this once, Catman – what I'm planning is mine and mine alone. You mess with me, and I'll will kick your ass into the Seine. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," he answered hoarsely. She carefully stepped away from him. Blake's face was flushed and twisted with embarrassment, his blue eyes glaring murderously at her. "You're a goddamn bitch, Selina."

She smiled back at him. "You got that right. Biggest bitch in the world, and damn proud of it. Oh. One last thing before you go – you really need to lay off the booze. Keep drinking the way I think you are, you're not going to be able to fit into your working clothes. _Au revior_ , Blake."

Selina turned and walked in the opposite direction, cool but alert. She was confident Blake would not be stupid enough to attack her in public, but one could never tell when a man got embarrassed by a woman – especially when said man was a sexist jerk like Catman. When she traversed a block she relaxed a little and glanced over her shoulder. She spotted Blake storming off into the distance.

Selina sighed deeply. Here was a complication she had not even idly contemplated. She hoped Blake would heed her warning, but frankly she was pessimistic about the odds. It was time for her to consider contingencies.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Thomas Blake, aka **Catman** , was, along with Killer Moth and Owlman, one of the first 'anti-Batmans' to enter Batman's rogues gallery. More modern examples of this archtype include the Wrath and Prometheus. Like Killer Moth, Catman was started to be considered something of a joke and a loser during the 90's. Gail Simone rehabilitated the character during her initial run on _Secret Six_ , transforming him into a complex, thoughtful and dangerous anti-hero who straddles the line dividing hero from villain. In this continuity, he hasn't yet experienced the epiphany that made him reform himself, though his abilities have not quite yet degraded to the point where Green Arrow can beat him in less than a page.

The incident Alya told Marinette about is detailed in the animated short _Catwoman_ , available for free on YouTube.

I'm sorry it has taken me so long (over a year!) to continue this. Hopefully it won't take as long for me to finish chapter five.

Thanks once again to the wondrous and talented PurseMonger for pre-reading my work.


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